Acknowledgments

On behalf of the Child Protection Sub-Cluster in Yemen, I would like to extend our deep appreciation and thanks to all those who were involved in the finalization of this assessment. Much appreciation to the extended support and collaboration from Her Excellency Dr. AmatAlrazzak Ali Hoummad, Minister of Social Affairs and Labor (MoSAL) and her staff at central and local levels from the social protection department. The Sub-Cluster members look forward to work with Your Ministry to address the needs, challenges and gaps highlighted in this assessment report.

Our thanks go to His Excellency the Governor of Sa’ada, Colonel TahaHajar, for his support, co-operation and facilitation of field work and data collection.

Producing this assessment report would not have been possible without the cooperation, valuable input and active participation of a number on individuals and organizations who made up and/or contributed to the research. Therefore, special thanks and appreciation are extended to Dr. MuhammedAlmaqrami, Team leader and primary researcher; Dr. Fahd Alsabri, the first team leader assistant; Mr. NabeelAlkori, the second team leader assistant; Mr. MohamadMehdi, seconded emergency child protection specialist to UNICEF Yemen, from the Norwegian Refugee Council, for his close supervision and guidance together with UNICEF Child Protection team and the Sub-Cluster coordinator.

Furthermore, sincere thanks are extended to the staff of all international organizations, UN agencies, national NGOs, and government institutions for their cooperation in conducting this study; Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor; Save the Children; Islamic Relief; CSSW; SEYAJ;Shawathab; UNHCR;and the CSOs in the affected districts.

Finally, thanks to the brave children and their families for their participation and sharing their valuable knowledge and experiences which enabled us to successfully complete this study.

This study is dedicated to all children in need of protection in the Republic of Yemen.

GeertCappelaere

UNICEF Representative - Yemen

Table of Contents

Title / Page
Acknowledgment / 2
Executive Summary / 4
Recommendations / 7
Back ground and context / 9
Objectives of the assessment / 11
Results of the Assessment
General information / 12
  1. Focus Group Discussions
/ 12
  1. Individual Interviews
/ 12
  1. Interviews with Key informants
/ 13
Demographic Impacts of the conflict / 13
Children’s direct exposure to conflict / 14
Displacement and patterns of displacement / 14
Registration / 16
Attitudes towards return / 16
Domestic violence during displacement / 16
Abuse and Exploitation / 17
Early marriage / 18
Child Labor / 20
Child Trafficking and Smuggling / 21
Child recruitment / 23
Victims of landmines and UXO’s / 26
Children with disabilities / 26
Psychosocial Impact of Conflict Displacement and Abuse on Displaced Children / 28
Children’s protective resources / 29
Personal protective mechanisms / 30
Social protective resources for displaced children / 31
Family Unity / 32
Economic exploitation of caregivers / 32
Education of caregivers / 34
Coping & Parenting skills of Caregivers / 34
Mental health problems of children and their caregivers in conflict-affected areas / 35
Basic needs and Services / 38
  1. Shelter
/ 39
  1. Distribution of Food
/ 40
  1. Water and Sanitation
/ 41
  1. Education
/ 43
  1. Health and Nutrition
/ 45
National and international Responses in the field of child protection / 47
  • Coordination Mechanism for the child protection response
/ 47
  • Rapid Assessment of Psycho-social Needs
/ 47
  • Monitoring reporting and advocacy:
/ 48
  • Capacity building of stakeholders and right holders
/ 48
  • Awareness raising and provision of services
/ 48
About the Assessment / 49
Objectives / 49
Duration of the Assessment / 50
Assessment tools / 50
Methodology / 51
Sample Size and Selection / 51
Geographic scope / 51
Field Workers (Data collectors) / 52
Field Work / 52
Characteristics of the assessment / 53
Analysis of Data / 53

Executive Summary

Approximately one third of the population of Sa’ada Governorate and two-thirds of the population of HarfSufian district in Amran have fled their homes during six cycles of armed conflict between the Government Forces and Al-Huthi armed groups in the north-west of Yemen. Starting in June 2004 and continued till February 2010, rounds of fighting between Yemen's armed forces and militia groups of Al-Huthi have led to the displacement of an estimated 316,000 people, 60% of them are children and women, throughout the conflict-affected governorates of Hajjah, Amran, Sa’ada, Al-Jawf and Sana’a.The scale of displacement became massive after the outbreak of the sixth phase of the conflict from August 2009 - February 2010.

The Yemeni government, assisted by the United Nations, international organizations, NGOs and community members mounted a vast assistance operation, distributing food and non-food items, providing shelter and sanitation, strengthening medical facilities, and protecting vulnerable IDPs, with a focus on the most vulnerable children and women. Despite this extensive aid operation, Yemen’s displaced children are still facing major difficulties in accessing basic necessities such as food, water, shelter, medical care and education. Many IDPs including children have also been subjected to various forms of abuse, violence, exploitation and neglect associated with their displacement. Host communities in areas of displacement overwhelmed by hundred thousands of displaced people and shared their already scarce resources. Ten percent of the IDPs who returned home in early 2010, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, have experienced difficulties due to the general security situation and poor infrastructure. They continue to face the risks of death, injury, as well as loss of shelter, food, clean water and livelihoods. IDPs who have returned to insecure areas cannot be considered to have found a durable solution to their displacement.

The Child Protection Sub-Cluster conducted an assessment on the child protection situation in the areas affected by Sa’ada conflict. A total of 1,064 people (532 children and 532 caregivers) were interviewed directly, 142 key community leaders were interviewed, and 43 focus group discussions were convened. The assessment initiative gathered information from 5% of the IDP and conflict-affected population within Hajja, Amran, Sa’ada, Al-Jawf and Sana’a governorates. While this assessment attempted to account for gender differences, it is recognized that difficulties in talking with girls and women limits the capacity of this report to fully reflect female experiences. As a result, more males were interviewed or engaged in group discussions representing over 70% of the interviewed population. The results of the assessment reveal that children displaced in the North of Yemen have experienced serious risks and exposed for many protection concerns. Many children were separated from their families, recruited, detained, injured, missed, disabled or even killed during the conflict. In addition, the assessment has revealed that rates of abuse, exploitation and violence have increased during the displacement period; including domestic and sexual violence, corporal punishment, early marriage and child labour.

Those child protection risks and concerns were clearly shown by the assessment as follows:

  • 7.9% of interviewed IDPs and affected families have reported that one of their children had been killed and 10.3% injured as a result of direct fighting between both sides to the conflict.
  • The assessment shown that low levels of separation of children from families, although difficulties in collecting information. A total of 6% of children were found separated from their families and only 0.3% children were separated from both parents. There is a strong tradition of providing substitute care for children without caregivers within their extended family. The separations were resolved quickly by family and tribal links and in some cases with the help of aid workers in camps. Two per cent of the families advised that they had at least 1 child still missing from the conflict or displacement.
  • 21% of interviewed children witnessed someone being injured and 7.1% saw someone being killed. A few families (2.1%) reported that they had at least one child missing as a result of the conflict or displacement.
  • Although difficult to quantify, it was estimated that more than 20% of fighters inarmed groups for the Al-Houthi and at least 15% of the fighters in the tribal militia affiliated with Government were children. 15.3% of interviewed boys reported being invited to join the Al-Houthi group and 16.9% of caregivers reported that one or more of their children (particularly boys) had participated in the activities of armed groups;
  • 10.2% of families reported that their children had been subjected to detention by both sides of the conflict. Many cases of detentionshad been conducted by caregivers themselves as way of protecting theirchildren. Some parents pointed out that they occasionally detained their children deliberately as a way to prevent them from joining the armed groups or forces, or to secure their children from abuse from people outside of the family. It is not clear what proportion of children were detained by different actors;
  • Physical abuse (69% of children interviewed), one third of which comprised corporal punishment (where adults justified their actions as rehabilitative in nature). More girls (72%) reported being beaten than boys (66%).
  • Sexual abuse and exploitation, where 9% of interviewed girls and 4% of boys advised they experienced such abuse;
  • Early marriages are an issue of concern in Yemen occurred before the conflict. While nationally 32% of girls in Yemen are married before they are 18, it is believed that the displacement increased the likelihood of forced early marriage. The assessment has shown a steady increase in early marriage of internally displaced girls. Girls as young as 8, though generally between 13 and 17 years, were found to be married. About one third of care givers revealed their approval for early marriage and many girls were not fully aware about the aversive consequences of early marriages. Mutual exchanges of daughters or sisters are also found to be common among displaced families. Displaced families may be more willing to have girls married early as a protection mechanism. Internally displaced families may have had stronger financial incentives for early marriage during the displacement as a way to reduce the burden of poverty. Rates of forced marriage may also have risen from a sense of obligation to host families.
  • Increased targeting of children for the purpose of trafficking. Between January and June 2010, 329 children were rescued from trafficking and provided with legal, medical and psychosocial support. Staff working with children targeted by traffickers state that children were subjected to illegal adoption, forced labour, and early marriage. Types of forced labour activities include: prostitution, domestic service, agricultural work (including Qat picking and selling) and begging;
  • Despite the prevalent threat of landmines and UXOs, two-thirds of interviewed children did not know how to avoid detonating them, even though 31% had undertaken some form of education regarding the risks of explosive remnants of war;
  • The Sa’ada Association for the Handicapped registered 1,783 children with disabilities – 42% with physical impairment to upper and/or lower limbs, 39% with hearing and speech disabilities, 14% with visual impairment and 7% with a learning disability (1 in 5 had multiple disabilities). Similar rates among disabled people were found by child protection teams in Hajja governorate while in the Amran governorate 76% had physical impairment, 9% with a hearing disability, 10% with visual impairment and 6% with learning disabilities. Approximately half of the children sustained injuries causing the disabilities as a result of the armed conflict; 89 % of the interviewed children and adolescents were displaced.
  • Engagement in paid labor, where 29% of interviewed children had worked for pay within the previous 3 months and 14% were between 8-14 years of age. Engaging children in paid labour below the age of 15 is inconsistent with the ILO Conventions. More boys (35%) were engaged in paid labor than girls (13.8%). The children were likely to do agricultural work (including Qat picking and selling), hospitality work, work in workshops and begging. Girls were particularly likely to collect firewood for sale and/or tend to animals in the mountains. Little attention was paid to domestic labour in the study;
  • Low rates of participation in education, particularly for girls. It is estimated that around 250 out of 700 schools in Sa’ada were partially or completely destroyed. Large numbers of IDP children were not enrolled in regular education activities. In camps, a strong effort was made to provide education, but this did not cover all camps. In some areas of displacement (including outside camp areas), access to education was either extremely limited or non-existent. For example, there is extremely limited access to education in Amran, while no access in Al-Jawf and in all conflict-affected areas of Sa’ada and HarfSufian. In this assessment, 51% of children reported not attending their school. The enrolment rate of girls is lower than boys in all conflict-affected areas. Caregivers reported that their children regularly drop out of school from the age of 12 years upwards: at least one third of children drop out of their primary schools per year, particularly in rural areas. Educational officers estimated that about 70% of girls left schools just after finishing their primary education.

Compared to the findings of the Rapid Psycho-social Needs Assessment conducted in September 2009, significant improvement with regards to the psycho-social wellbeing has been indicated. The rates of psychosocial and mental health issues and disorders are significant and require immediate response. Some of the interviewed children showed robust levels of resilience: however, due to their protracted displacement, child abuse and neglect, conflict and witnessing the death and injuries of their relatives, there is evidence of poor physical and mental health, increased poverty, illiteracy, and breakdown of their social protective environment. The assessment revealed the following:

  • Approximately one in three children reported feeling unsafe, sad or frustrated, diminished hope, afraid, or anger and hatred. One in three experienced problems in their sleep and one in five reported experiencing nightmares. One in four experienced difficulties concentrating. One in four reported difficulties in trusting others and one in five reported losing interests in usual activities and a similar numberreported a lack of pleasure in daily life. Many of these symptoms, depending on their intensity and frequency, can present either as depression or fuel anti-social behavior. One in 10 children reported experiencing convulsions or loss of consciousness, which may indicate either periodic psychological blackouts or incidence of epilepsy.
  • One in four children reported difficulties in expressing their feelings and two in five advised that they did not have safe opportunities to play. Caregivers advised that one in five children displayed antisocial behaviour within the family as well as publicly. One in 20 children reported thinking about attempting suicide. No successful attempts of suicide were reported by the families. One in four children advised that they isolated themselves from others. A similar number of children advised that they misused illicit substances to alter their state.
  • Three in four children advised that they prayed recited verses from the Quran, two in three children said that they had a sense of hope, and three in five children played with other children.
  • Three in five children reported that their caregivers did not support them emotionally. Almost half of the children said that they received support from their peers.
  • Three in five caregivers reported that they did not receive tribal or community support.

Many displaced children experienced various problems as a direct result of the conflict and displacement. The assessment reveals that the abuse, violence, and exploitation have been perpetrated by a variety of actors, including the children’s families, employers, host communities, and aid workers. While there is national legislation proscribing much of the abuse, factors such as parenting skills, economic circumstance, cultural traditions, tribal conflict and psychosocial conditions have created environments where the protective needs of children are not prioritized.

Therefore, children who are in displacement or returned to their place of origin need stronger protection and efforts to promote their psychosocial well-being. Local, national and international humanitarian and development actors must work together in the conflict-affected areas to ensure appropriate responses that address the needs of displaced and affected children.

Recommendations

The assessment team recommends a range of interventions and measures in order to decrease the level of children exposure to conflict and displacement adversities, minimize children’s vulnerability, addressknown risk factors, strengthen children’s own resilience, and improve their protective environment. The general aim is empowerment and strengthening the individual, group, family and community roles in the society, as well as mechanisms within the Government systems to protect children. Child protection and psychosocial programs should support the already available structures and functions such as extended families in conflict-affected governorates in order to strengthen the protective environment for children.. Child protection and psychosocial wellbeing require joint efforts from other sectors and clusters. The recommendations call for the attention and action of all actors in the humanitarian response and the parties to the conflict in Yemen as follows:

1)Ensure providing all internally displaced people in need, inside and outside camps with safe access to food and clean water, shelter, medical services and sanitation. Under current circumstances, particular attention needs to be given to Al-Jawf and Amran governorates;

2)Ensure effective coordination between clusters that monitor and respond to child protection issues such as the Education Cluster, Health Cluster, Early Recovery and other relevant clusters at central and local levels in conflict-affected governorates.

3)Extend and improve the already established child protection sub-cluster and groups at central and local levels that ensure effective monitoring and response to child protection issues in the conflict-affected governorates of Sa'ada, Amran, Hajja, Al-Jawf and Sana’a.